Review - Stainless Steel Salt and Pepper Mill / Grinder

**I have bought this product with a huge discount in exchange of my honest review.

I already own a salt and pepper mill but it is just a small one and has 2 compartments in the jar to separate the salt and the pepper. I actually like to use a different mill for each. These stainless steel salt and pepper mill is a good choice. From the photo on the product's description in Amazon, it looks small but it is actually not. The glass container itself is about 3 and 1/2 inches so you can put a lot of pepper or salt inside the big container. And because it has big container, it can hold many salt, pepper and other spices you want to grind!

I also like the fact that it has a cap so the metal grinder doesn't get mixed with dust or other environmental elements. The caps keep the spices free from humidity keeping them fresh. The caps are also stainless steel lined with rubber fitting for an air-tight coverage. It is easy to flip open just pull the cap from the grinder head and you're good to go.

It is also easy to replenish the stock inside. You just twist the stainless steel grinder head from the glass container and you can refill as you wish or fill to the brim. Operating is quite easy and fast too. As most pepper and salt mills, you just turn clockwise and fine pepper or salt comes. The rotor is made of ceramic so you don't have to worry about rusting.

I like the freshly ground pepper and salt from these mills because they are not so fine and yet they are not course, texture wise. The salt even comes out as flakey which is good as per my family's preference.

I really do like these mills. It is better than the one we have at the moment which is small and have very limited storage capacity for the spices.

This product is available at Amazon.

Picking a Kitchen Mixer: Hand, Stand or Combo?

Different mixers (don't call them blenders in Martha Stewart's presence) are useful for different tasks. Stand mixers, for instance, are great for making dough, for mixing large recipes, and for mixing for long periods of time. Hand mixers are great for small recipes and for use in a variety of different bowls. You might be wondering, however, if you need both. Here is what the professionals have to say.

(Photo credit: bedbathandbeyond.com)

Stand Mixers

For large jobs and the best results when you need to really whip creams, you can't beat a stand mixer. These devices often have twice the power and thus twice the speed that a hand mixer can muster. That means you can get smoother icings and fluffier batters with a stand mixer than you ever will with a hand-held unit.

Most stand mixers come with a variety of different beaters including a whisk, paddle, and hook. The whisk is great for sauces and frosting while the paddle is perfect for cake and cookie batters. For bread dough, the hook can't be beat. You can often get these attachments on a hand mixer, but the hooks, for instance, won't be of much use due to lower power output and less torque from the mixer.

Another benefit to stand mixers is that you can augment them with accessories. Many stand mixers allow you to attach pasta makers or ice cream makers and thus extend the use of the machine. If you want a more versatile option, go with the stand mixer.

The downside to the stand mixer is cost. The cheapest units begin at around two hundred dollars with professional units starting around six hundred. There are a variety of stand mixers on the market, many of which can be compared by visiting sites like Bed Bath and Beyond. Do your homework and pick the unit that has enough power to meet your needs. America's Test Kitchen has a great review of stand mixers.

Hand Mixers

Hand mixers are great if you are short on space or short on time (they are easier to set up and clean). They are useful for making batters, puddings and other thin mixtures, but struggle with thicker substances like bread dough. If you do choose to get a hand mixer, go with a lightweight unit that has at least five speeds. Look for units with additional attachments to extend functionality. You can learn more about hand mixers by reading the review offered by Good Housekeeping.

Combination Mixers

If you can't commit to a hand or stand mixer, then a hybrid unit may be right for you. These have the power of a stand mixer, but the simplicity and light weight of a hand mixer. Keep in mind that though these units are highly versatile, they often aren't quite as light as a hand mixer or quite as powerful as a dedicated stand mixer.

Choosing Wisely

If you can afford it, buy both a hand and a stand mixer. If you have to choose one over the other, and price isn't an option, go with the stand mixer as it will do everything a hand mixer will do and then some. If space is an issue, go with the hand mixer. Whatever route you choose, be sure to review your options to see which models and brands hold up the longest and are the easiest to use.

Christal Haynes loves to cook, shop and write. A retired home economics teacher, she likes to share her insights with others by posting on the web. You can find her informative articles on many of today's top websites and blogs.

Mother's Day Kitchenaid Giveaway

Hosted by:

NYSavingSpecials

Co-Hosted by:

Ramblings of Mama, Simply Sherryl, Lost in Boston, So Simply Stephanie, Sweet Sensible Scents, Barbara's Beat, Filipino Recipes, Michigan Savings and More and My Fab Fit Forties

Come and join these fabulous bloggers who hosted this great giveaway for Mother's Day!

You can be the lucky winner for a

KitchenAid KSM75SL 4.5 Qt. Classic Plus Stand Mixer, Color silver

Dates:

May 9 12:01am EST. To May 23 11:59pm  EST.

Valid only in the Continental United States. 

Void where prohibited

18 years or older to enter/only 1 entrant per household

 Winner is chosen through random.org

All entries are optional.

All winning entries will be verified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: It's My Party is not responsible for the awarding of the prize.  If you have any questions about this giveaway, please email the host at nysavingspecials@gmail.com.  This blog, Facebook, Twitter or any other social media network is not associated with this giveaway.

Good luck! Don't wait too long, join now!

KitchenAid May 9-23 Giveaway Announcement

Free Sign up! 

 With 

Announcement 


 

Prize:



One

KitchenAid KSM75SL 4.5 Qt. Classic Plus Stand Mixer, Color silver

Info:

-1 FREE Links with announcements (Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest)

Get your announcement here (or pay $5.00)

-Giveaway date:   May 9 - May 23, 2014

-Co-host $20.00

10 Links (no google links)

2 Co-host pages 

-Extra links $2.00 (no google links) up to 4 links

Send payment to melisurveys1978@gmail.com

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The Little Girl In The Kitchen

I am a known non-cooker in my circle. It's just not my cup of tea. The funny thing about this is that I don't like the cooking part but I enjoy watching cook shows. I have been watching Food Network for as long as I can remember. I love the competition shows, Unwrapped, and Foodography. I think it is in Foodography where I saw this little girl (barely in her teens when she started cooking) who was making some chicken meal with couscous. I thought to myself, "wow, that kid will surely go a long, long way." And mind you, she knows how to deliver her speech with matching hand actions and facial expressions. She can be a great TV personality!

I remembered that Foodography episode shown recently and I decided to look her up in the internet. I found her food blog "The Little Girl In The Kitchen" and she moved her famous blog to Romilly Newman (who is the little girl in the kitchen! She's now 14).

I am amazed by this girl's talent. She has been a guest of some shows and will be a speaker in the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce in October. She is really going places now and I won't be surprised to see her very own cook show or published cook book in the bookstores.

Some people really have that passion. It's that passion that I lack and can't force myself to cook. I wish I had even just an iota of it.

I'll still keep watching cook shows and read recipe books hoping that one day, I'll just find myself whipping up a storm of decadent meals in the kitchen. That will certainly be a miracle!

I Don't Like Cooking

It is a public knowledge that I am not fond of cooking or anything in the kitchen. I just don't have the passion to engage in cooking. I realized this early in life when my mother used to cook savory dishes for us and my siblings would gather in the kitchen to watch her cook. I would stay in my room  and read books instead. The kitchen and cooking didn't appeal me.

As I got older, I thought my perception and feelings about cooking would change when we had Home Economics subject in high school. My classmates would get so excited and I would shrug my shoulders and roll my eyes. I remembered the "siopao" (steamed buns with filling) I made. It didn't even rise even after I steamed it. It looked like one gooey, over-sized dumpling! I dread every minute I had in Home Ec!!!

I met my boyfriend (who is now my husband) and thought it was time to cut the slack and start "impressing" the future in-laws. I managed to cook some dishes for my in-laws then with the help of a cook book but it fizzled so fast. I must have cook 2 dishes during the whole time my hubby and I were dating. I couldn't force myself to like cooking. I don't know why.

Then the time came where we got married. I remember telling my in-laws to "accept me for who I am" because I will never learn how to cook. I guess they didn't have a choice because I set those words in stone.

Fast forward now, I am happy (not so proud but not ashamed) to proclaim that I still don't like cooking. Don't get me wrong. I am not starting a new feminist movement here but I believe that to like something, you have to have a passion for it. I did try but it always ended catastrophic! I almost burned the whole kitchen when I was just trying to cook a scrambled egg. I have done a lot of bloopers in my life in the kitchen. So for the love of life, don't leave me in the kitchen because everything will be chaotic!

I tried to cook for sometime for my family but it just doesn't seem sincere providing cooked meals for them when I know in my heart I am forced to do it because of an obligation. I make up for this by doing the other heavy household chores like washing the dishes, cleaning the house, caring after them and our pet Millie, doing the laundry and pressing the clothes. I fulfill my wife and motherly duties by doing other things at home. So, it is still fair because what I do is more strenuous than cooking.

There are moment when I take a lot of guts to conquer my dislike of cooking by researching on easy-to-cook recipes in the net. I managed to pull off some "edible" meals but the bursts of will-power to cook comes far in between.

You must be wondering who does the cooking at home. Well, who else - my darling husband. Mind you, he is an excellent cook.  Good thing though, my daughter picked her dad's cooking skill. I think we'll stick to the status quo.

Beautiful Kitchen Sink

I have been looking around, snapping and collecting pictures of beautiful kitchens and the fixtures and appliances that will go with the plan. I saw this beautiful triple undermount sink and I knew that it would be the right kitchen sink for me.

I like the triple undermount sink because of its compartmentalized feature and the way I can organize my washing. I also don't like spills on the kitchen top so this kind of sink is the best for me. The price is a bit on the high end but given the clean cut and functionality, I think the amount of money paid for the sink is worth the investment.

Old Keepers

I just finished cleaning the kitchen cupboard and found my long term food storage which has been missing in action until today.

I like my food keeper so much because it is big enough to put in some of our big meal's left overs. It is not that big to put in the fridge as well. The lid is rubberized on the rims for tighter grip on the container. I forgot where I bought it but I love it so much.

That old food keeper is still well-maintained. Well, partly because I lost it for some time so it was not used for a while. Now that I found it, I will have plenty of left-overs to keep in that trust food storage. So there will be no wastage at home.

Drip! Drop!

I cannot believe that my flat is showing signs of wear and tear already when we've only been in this place for 2 years. This was a new building when we moved in. Seeing the paints chipping, the door hinges un-hingeing and the kitchen faucet dripping drives me up the wall!

I tried calling the "watchman" (the person assigned to take all possible verbal abuse from the tenants *wink*) but I think he's off. If I wait another day without doing something to these, I might just go mad. So, I'll drive to the nearest hardware tomorrow and will ask hubby to fix the drippy faucet first.

Monday Party Games - Kitchen Escape

Due to my princess' insistence, I am posting this game because she loved it so much and she's such a kitchen fanatic (wish I had the same gusto as hers). I swear, I had to ask her help to get my way around this kitchen game. Good luck finding ways to get out!

Click to play Kitchen Escape